Locomotive-stoker



N. M. LOWER.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1. 191a.

Patnted Dec. 28,1920.

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LOCOMOTIVE STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1. 191a.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

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N. M. LOWER.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-I, ma.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

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N. M. LOWER.

LOCOMOTIVE STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1 IQIB. 1,363,333.11. Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

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LOCOMUTIVE STOKER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1. 1918. 1,363,333. Patented Dec.28,1920.

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63,333 -lcmore FILED G In M99160 IQIB- Pataflte D60, 28 1920 6 ssssss sssss a,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN M. LOWER, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO LOCOMOTIVE STOKER COMPANY. A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

LOCOMOTIVE-STOKER.

Application filed August 1, 1818.

To all w ham it may concern:

lie it known that I, NATHAN M. Lownn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Pittsburgh, county of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in L0- comotive-Stokers, of which the following is a specification and which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The invention relates to stokers for locomotives, and has for its object the provision of means for relieving the pressure of the driving motor upon the fuel transferring mechanism in the event of the device being stopped by clogging, in order that the clutch device connecting the power element with the transferring means may be released.

It consists of a device such as hereinafter described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a detail elevation of the back head of the locomotive tire-box, the fuel elevator and the driving engine. showing the application of the relief or regulating valve illustrated in Figs. 5 and (i;

Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal section of the driving motor and its controlling and regulating valve, the motor being shown as on the power stroke;

Fig. 3 is a similar view, the motor being on the back stroke;

Fig. 4 is a detail section of the relief or regulating valve;

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a. modified form of construction, taken on the line 55 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the valve casing shown in F ig. 5, some parts being shown in dotted lines;

Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic illustration of the application of the device when the form of valve of Figs. 2. 3 and 4 is employed;

Fig. 8 is a detail elevation, partly in section, of the back head of a. locomotive and of the elevating mechanism of the stoker;

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail on the line 99 of Fig. 10. of the ratchet and pawl mechanism for driving one of the elevators; and

Figs. 10 and 11 are sectional views on the lines 10-10 and 11-11, respectively, of Fig. 9.

The back head of the locomotive fire-box Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Serial No. 247,763.

is represented at 10, and the hand firing door at 11. At 12 there is shown an elevating conduit of known type, the stoker usualty comprising two such conduits associated with a transferring conduit (not shown) leading forwardly from the locomotive tendcr, the fuel transferring and elevating mechanism, in the form of screw conveyers as 75, being driven by a single motor, represented at 13, of the reciprocating type, the piston rod of the motor being shown at 14 and a rack-bar for connecting it with suitable pinions being indicated at 15.

The conveyor screw 75 comprises a hollow shaft sleeved upon a driving shaft 76, the lower end of which carries a bevel gear 77, meshing with the rack 15. This shaft projects through the upper end of the casing 12. upon which is mounted the head 16, carrying the ratchet and pawl mechanism, through which power is transmitted from the shaft 76 to the shaft of the screw. This ratchet and pawl mechanism comprises a ratchet wheel 78. keyed upon the shaft 76, and two pairs of pawls 79, 80, carried by the head 16 which is fixed to the shaft of the screw 75. The pawls of each pair face in opposite directions, and are urged into engagement with the ratchet wheel 78 by a spring 81 anchored to each. These pawls are adapted to engage the ratchet wheel alternatively, or both may be held out of engagement with it.

The pawls are controlled by a pawl lifter R2, in the form of a segmental plate depending between the pawls from a vertically movable cap 83. The pawl lifting plate 82 has an oblique slot 84, into which projects a pin setting through the cover plate of the head 16. As the cap plate 83 is moved vertically the pawl lifter 82 is shifted laterally, thereby disengaging one of the pawls from the ratchet wheel and permitting the other to make contact with it.

The specific driving mechanism as shown and described is not claimed in this application.

Mechanical stokers are liable to become clogged and stopped either by congestion or by the presence of extraneous matter. such as scraps of metal. being a cidentally intermixed with the fuel. When this occurs it becomes necessary to temporarily reverse the direction of the elevating means, and to this connects end the clutch must be released. The stall-- ing will occur on the power stroke of the motor, and as the clutch mechanism is then under pressure its manual disengagement is difficult or impossible, and it becomes necessary to relieve this pressure, as by reversing the direction of the motor stroke, before the latter is completed.

The motor ordinarily used in connection with the type of stokmg mechanism illustrated is shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and comprises a cylinder 18 within which reciprocates a piston 19 provided w1th a rod 14. Steam is delivered to the motor at 20, and exhausted therethrough at 21. The distrlbuting valve 22 is of D form, and alternately rts 23 and 24 with the op osite ends of tli: cylinder and with the ex aust port 21. This valve is shifted by means of a pair of differential pistons 25, 26, fixed upon its stem and reciprocating in suitable cylinders steam entering at the port 20 being at all times effective upon the ad acent faces of the two pistons and normally holding the valve 22 in the position shown in Fig. 2, representing the power stroke of the motor.

A controlling valve 27 of D form is mounted in a cylindrical valve chamber 28 formed in the head of the cylinder 18 and in axial alinement with the cylinder. The valve 27 is provided with a stem 29 extending into the cylinder 18 and loosely fitting within an axial aperture 30 in the piston rod 14 and being provided at its inner end with a stud or cross-head 31. As the iston 19 completes its power stroke, moving in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 2, the stem 29 is met by the bottom of the aperture 30 and the valve 27 is thereby shifted to the position shown in Fig. 3. Upon the completion of the return stroke of the piston 19, the stud or cross-head 31 is engaged by a detent mounted upon the front face of the piston and shown as taking the form of an apertured plate 32, and the valve 27 is shifted to the position of Fig. 2.

A port 33 connects the steam passage leading from the port 20 to the valve chamber 28, and a steam assage 34 leads from this chamber to the end of the cylinder within which the piston 25 reciprocates. An exhaust passage leads from this cylinder to the chamber 28 and is controlled by the valve 27, the cavity of which connects it at suitable times with an exhaust passage 36 leading to the main exhaust passage of the motor. The valve 27 is provided with a rearwardly projecting stem 37, snugly fitting and reci r0- cating in a pocket in the casing within w ich this valve is housed, and a duct 38 connects this pocket with the cylinder 18.

With the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2, the passage 34 is closed by'the valve 27, and the exhaust passage 35 is covered by the rim of the piston 25. The passage 23 being connected with the exhaust port 21, pressure in the pocket which receives the stem 27 is relieved. Upon the shifting of the valve 27 to the position shown in Fig. 3, pressure is ap lied to the outer face of the piston 25, an preponderates over the constant pressure upon the inner face thereof becalise of the counterbalancing action upon the inner face of the piston 26, forcin the valve 22 downwardly to the position of Fig. 3 and therebv reversing the direction of the piston 19. A relief passage 39 leads from the rearward end of the cylinder, within which the piston 26 reciprocates, to the passage leading to the exhaust port 21.

As thus far described the motor and its valve mechanism have been long in use, and

the motor is under the control of the operator only by means of a throttle valve, not shown, in the steam service pipe. If, therefore, the motor is stalled by an overload, necessarily occurring during the power stroke (Fig. 2), steam pressure continues to urge the piston to the left. The power being maintained upon the clutch mechanism must be relieved in order to permit the o erator to reverse the machine, and it there ore becomes important to provide an auxiliary valve for controlling the valve 22. Such a valve is shown at 40 (Figs. 2, 3 and 4) as being housed and reciprocating in a casing 41 integral with the cylinder head. A passage 42 connects the chamber of the casing 41 with the passage leading from the inlet port 20, and a passage 43 connects the interior of the casing with the upper end of the cylinder within which the piston 25 reciprocates. An exhaust port 44 is provided for the chamber of the casing 41.

The valve 40 is chambered, as shown at 4.3. and is provided with lateral ports 46, 47, both of which communicate with the chamber 45, these ports being spaced to register in alternation with the passages 42. 43, and with the passage 43 and port 41. \Vhen the valve is centrally positioned, as shown in Fig. 4, the several passages are all disconnected. If, with the valve 22 in the position shown in Fig. 2. it is desired to reverse the movement of the piston 19. the valve 40 is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 3 to deliver steam above the piston 2."), forcing it downward and opening the port 23 to live steam and connecting the port 21 to the exhaust port 21. Thereupon the piston 19 will be moved to the right, thereby relieving the pressure upon the clutch mechanism. \Vhile the valve 40 remains in the position shown in Fig. 3, the motor will be inactive, either because of continued pressure through the port 23 or because of the partial return of the piston 25 due to the relief of pressure above it through the passage 35. By shifting the valve 40 to the messes position of Fig. 2. steam is exhausted from above the piston 25 through the passage 43 and port 44, again opening the passage 24 to live steam, and the normal operation of the motor is secured by returning the valve 40 to its middle position.

When, as in the construction illustrated in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the valve casing 41 is formed in the head of the cylinder 18, the valve 40 is preferably controlled by means of a hand lever 48, fixed upon a rock shaft 49, 'ournaled in brackets 50, 51, fixed to the bac head of the fire-box above the fire door 11, and provided at its opposite ends with a crank arm 52, a link 53 connecting this arm with a lever 54 pivoted on a suitable support and properly connected with the stem 55 of the valve.

If desired the controlling valve may be located on the back head of the fire-box above the door 11 and connected with the passage 43 by a pipe 56, as illustrated in vhen this arrangement is employed the controlling valve and its casing may take the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 5 and 6. The casing 57 is provided with a steam port 58, with which a pipe 59 is connected, a port 60 with which the pipe 56 is connected, and an exhaust port 61 to which a pipe may be attached leading to any suitable point of discharge. Within the casing 57 there is housed a reciprocating cylindrical and tubular valve 62, having an external annular cavity 63 of sufficient width to connect the ports 58, 60. \Vhen the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 5, the port 60 is closed, and when it is moved to the left this port is connected with the exhaust port 61.

The valve is controlled by means of a ham dle 64, fixed upon a shaft 65 projecting into the casing 57, and provided with a crank arm 66 pivotally attached to the stem 67 of the valve. A uadrant 68, attached to the hub of the ban le 64, is provided with a series of recesses 69, 70, 71, for cooperating with a spring-advanced detent 72 housed within a suitable ocket formed in the valve casing, whereby the valve is releasably held in any of its three positions. By reason of its tubular and cylindrical form the valve 62 is completely balanced.

The result secured by the two forms of construction are identical, and the valve may be further modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a locomotive stoker, the combination with fuel-advancing means, a reciprocating driving motor and clutch mechanism connecting such elements, automatic valve mechanism for controlling the motor, and a supplemental manually controlled valve for reversing the direction of movement of the motor piston during its stroke.

driving motor and clutch 2. In a locomotive stoker, the combination with fuel-advancing means, a reciprocating ,ing the distributing valve, and a manually controlled auxiliary valve for shifting the distributing "alve independently of the controlling valve.

4. In a locomotive stoker, the combination with fuel-advancing means, a reciprocating driving motor and clutch mechanism connecting such elements, a fluid actuated distributing valve for the motor, a controllin valve actuated by the motor piston for shiIting the distributin valve, and means for shifting the distributing valve independently of the action of the motor piston on the controlling valve.

5. In a locomotive stoker, the combination with fuel-advancing means, a reciprocating driving motor and clutch mechanism connecting such elements, a distributing valve for the motor, a reciprocating fluid-actuated motor for shifting the valve, a controlling valve for the shifting motor actuated by the movements of the piston of the first-named motor, a supplemental passage for a fluid under pressure leading to the shifting motor, and a manually actuated valve for controlling such passage.

6. In a locomotive stoker, the combination with fuel-advancing means, a reciprocating driving motor and clutch mechanism connecting such elements, a valve casing, a service passage leading to the casing, passages connecting the casing to the opposite ends of the motor cylinder and to the exhaust, a valve controllin such three lastnamed passages, differential pistons reciprocable in the casing and being located on opposite sides of the adit of the service passage and being connected with the named valve, service and exhaust passages leading to the casing and effective upon the outer face of the larger of the differential pistons, a valve actuated by the motor piston for controlling the last-named two passages, an additional service passage entering the easing and opening thereto beyond the outer face of the larger of the differential pistons, and a manually-actuated valve for controlling the last-named passage.

7. In a locomotive stoker, the combination with fuel-advancing means, a reciprocating mechanism connecting such elements, a valve casing, a service passage leading to the casing, passages connecting the casing to .the opposite ends of the motor cylinder and to the exhaust, a valve controlling such three last-named passages, differential pistons reciprocable in the casing and being located on opposite sides of the edit of the service passage and being connected with the named valve, service and exhaust passages leading to the casing and efl'ective upon the outer face of the larger of the differential pistons, a valve actuated by the motor piston for controlling the lastnamed two passages, an additional passage entering the casing and opening thereto beyond the outer face of the larger of the differential pistons, and a manually actuated valve for connecting the last-named passage in alternation with a source of pressure and with an exhaust port.

8. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, fuel-advancing means, a reciprocating motor, reversible pawl and ratchet mechan sm connecting the motor with the advancing means, manually controlled means for shifting the pawls, and manuall controlled means for reversing the direction of moveipeapas ment of the motor piston during its power stroke.

9. In a locomotive stoker, in combination means for advancing fuel, ratchet and pawl mechanism for driving such means, power means for actuating such mechanism, and means for relieving pressure upon such mechanism during its advance movement, such action leaving the mechanism in operative condition.

,10. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, means for advancing fuel, ratchet and pawl mechanism for driving such means, power means for actuating such mechanism and means for reversing the movement 0 the pawls comprised in such mechanism before the completion of the advance movement thereof.

11. In a locomotive stoker, in combination, means for advancing fuel, mechanism for driving such means, power means for actuating such means, and mechanism for relieving pressure upon such mechanism during its advance movement, the action of the said last-named means leaving said mechanism in operative condition.

NATHAN M. LOWER.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,363,333, granted December 28,

1920, upon the application of Nathan M. Lower, of Pittsburgh, Penneidvaniador an improvement in Locomotive-Stoker's, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 4, line 49, claim 11, for the word "means read mechanism and for the word "mechanism read means; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and eealedthie 25th day of January, A. D., 1921.

am. L. B. MANN,

Acting GrmmiuionaqfPatenta. Cl. l93-l3. 

